1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a resistance training device for training the lower extremities and specifically the muscles and other structures of the calf and lower leg.
2. Related Art
Calf muscles are used in walking, running, jumping, and in nearly every sport. It is thus desirable to have a training device configured to focus training on these muscles and their corresponding body structures. Traditional training devices such as hack squat devices focus on the muscles of the thigh rather than on the calf muscles. A user of a traditional device may not be able to achieve the calf muscle training he or she desires because of the configuration of traditional devices. For instance, traditional devices allow a user to use other muscles, such as thigh muscles to offload weight or resistance. This consequently reduces the effectiveness of training on the calf muscles which the user is seeking.
In traditional devices, the user must be relatively skilled and maintain proper technique to achieve focused training on his or her calf muscles. Training of the calf muscles may be achieved without proper technique; however, such training will not be as effective in training the calf muscles because the user's other muscles are offloading weight or resistance from the user's calf muscles.
In addition, traditional devices using a fixed resistance do not provide variable resistance and are incapable of maximizing resistance across the range of motion of a user's legs. Thus, the same resistance or weight is provided regardless of how the user's legs are positioned. For this reason, the user may not receive the desired amount of resistance as the user moves during training.
Thus, what is disclosed herein is a novel calf extension training device that provides variable and adjustable resistance while focusing training on a user's calf muscles.